Thursday, July 12, 2012

Catching up...

Did you miss me? For the past two weeks we have been without the internet much of the time and without our landline phone sporadically due to the horrific storms we've been having. A lightning strike also fried a printer and our DSL router, so that took a few days to resolve. And this past Sunday there were two wildfires started by lightning strikes on the property that adjoins ours. Thank goodness we've had a bit of rain (finally) the past week and the fire department got the fires out within a few hours.

And when we weren't dealing with lightning, fires and electronic issues:

Our animal welfare group, Pet Project, got a call from the Pike's Peak Humane Society asking if we wanted some free pet food. It seems that during the evacuations and Waldo Canyon fires in Colorado Springs, so much pet food was donated that the Humane Society was overrun with it. So we drove to Colorado Springs two days in a row to pick up approximately 4000 pounds of pet food each time. We do a pet food distribution once a month for people who are having trouble feeding their pets and this influx of food will allow us to distribute more often during the month. See photo -- we filled a trailer and the bed of the pickup truck each time!

Marshall helping the Humane Society volunteer load the truck

Marketplace Shops (the store where we have rented booth space) had their Chamber of Commerce reception which was very successful and then the Grand Opening. We sold $100 worth of stuff on day one, so that bodes well

Marshall's claim with the VA for Agent Orange benefits (Agent Orange is known to be a risk factor for prostate cancer) got active with various evaluation meetings being scheduled. We have one of those meetings later today.

Our generator, which is the backup for our solar power system (automatically kicks in whenever we have a series of overcast days and the batteries get depleted), developed a "bad board" and one night last week we had no power at all. The guy who maintains our solar system came out and brought us a loaner generator to keep us going until he can fix ours. Fortunately, we've had a lot of sunlight this week and there has been no need for the generator other than that first day to recharge the batteries.

The motorcycle paint job is still a work in progress. Now that the storms seem to have calmed down Marshall will probably go visit the motorcycle someday soon. We applied for vanity license plates (STNGR -- referring to the Stinger Gunships from Marshall's time in VietNam) and it got approved so they are on order.

The greenhouse is still doing well. We had a spinach salad the other day with greens from the greenhouse. More strawberries are forming. The green beans are finally producing. The herbs are awesome. We've had quite a few of the delicious small cherry tomatoes.

Marshall still has bad days where the fatigue is overpowering, but he keeps on going. He says this cancer is not going to keep him from doing the things he wants to do. Yay Marshall! The oncologist prescribed a very mild dose of an antidepressant which he says in most men helps to minimize the nighttime hot flashes and that appears to be working quite well. In my opinion, it is also causing Marshall to sleep later every day (he sleeps till about 9:00 now instead of the previous 7:00AM). That is not a bad thing.

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Marshall's Story (condensed)

On 3/14/12 went to emergency room with severe chest pain (turned out to be bone pain)3/17/12 diagnosed with Stage IV Prostate Cancer (metastasized to the bones), PSA was 493/29/12 Biopsy confirmed advanced cancer, with a Gleason Score of 8, PSA had risen to 953/29/12 Received a double injection of Firmagon hormone therapy (very painful!)Early April 2012, within less than a week, bone pain subsided, and he was out of bed!!4/30/12, PSA had gone down to 9! Hormone therapy changed from Firmagon to Lupron (a 3-month injection) Side effects: fatigue & hot flashes6/11/12, PSA now down to 3.9! Considering a clinical trial.6/19/12, decided against the clinical trial.7/10/12, lab work done at request of VA regarding Agent Orange claim.7/12/12, evaluation by a private doctor at request of VA.7/26/12, visit to oncologist. PSA remains at 3.9!!! Very good news. Bone strengthener postponed for 6 weeks. Next appointment 9/13/12.8/6/12, VA approved Agent Orange-prostate cancer benefits; Marshall is now considered 100% disabled. This decision will be reviewed again in six months.9/4/12, passed out, chest pain, pale, sweating, clammy, rushed to hospital by Flight for Life. Doctors were unable to find a cause, but it wasn't cancer related. Left the hospital 9/6/12.9/13/12, PSA went up to 6.6 ... depressing. CT scan, bone scan and another PSA test scheduled for 10/11/12.10/11/12, Bone scan showed no change from prior bone scan; CT scan showed slight increase in "activity"; PSA up to 10.01. Casodex is started as well as megadoses of Vitamin D2.10/18/12, Excruciating back pain, thought it was a Casodex side effect; oncologist says it is not SE. Went to clinic, got x-rays of spine, showed nothing, maybe hairline fracture, got injection of "aspirin" and started feeling better.

10/25/12, Lupron injection; Xgeva injection; flu shot. SE from Lupron was pain at injection site for several days.

1/28/13, went to emergency room with excruciating pain in right leg; no blood clot, no hairline fracture, no sciatica. Advised that fracture was imminent and to get wheelchair.

2/7/13, saw oncologist to get tests after emergency room visit. They do not agree that fracture is imminent and thought pain may be caused by withdrawal of Casodex. We go back on 3/1 for PSA test and discussion of clinical study of GTX (estrogen therapy) added to the treatment plan.

3/1/13, saw oncologist; PSA almost tripled to 31.06; started process to participate in clinical study for GTX-758.

3/4/13, not accepted in clinical study, bloodwork showed "low threshold" for clotting; will start Zytiga & prednisone on 3/12/13, started Zytiga with Prednisone;

3/17/13, FIRST PAIN FREE DAY IN MONTHS!

4/7/13, STILL PAIN FREE

4/8/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good; PSA DOWN TO 10.23!!

4/22/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good. Received Lupron shot. Xgeva will be stopped until calcium levels go up. STILL PAIN FREE.

5/8/13, lab work; all good. PSA down to 5.1. Got Xgeva shot.

6/12/13, lab work; PSA down to 1.45. Dehydrated, hemoglobin low. Need to come back in a week to re-check kidney function.

About Me

My husband and I retired in 2007 and moved to the mountains of Westcliffe, Colorado, to enjoy our "golden years." Now my husband has died of prostate cancer and I have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, Parkinson's, and had a pacemaker implanted. We never know what each day will bring.